Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode 6

A slow Obi-Wan Kenobi finale strains even Star Wars' operatic credulity in favor of weightless fan service.

Like all Star Wars stories, Obi-Wan Kenobi still manages to leave the viewer with a sense of potential despite what actually appeared on screen. The final confrontation between Obi-Wan and Vader had some good dramatic moments (Vader moving the earth, and I am not immune to Obi-Wan’s Prequel fighting style) when it did not feel like a fated (scripted) high noon standoff in front of a cardboard set. What if Vader threatened Leia? What if Reva had a change of heart but didn’t know how to express that, finding herself at the wrong end of a blaster for a crime she actually didn’t commit? Speaking to the dead isn’t relevant to the plot. I can forgive a lot when it comes to Star Wars. Hyperspace moves at the speed of drama. The exception is Reva. Her choice is powerful but understated, a slow burn of conscience in which she decides not to become the monster haunting her own nightmares. It’s a slightly more naturalistic performance than in the Prequel Trilogy and yet does not lose the operatic size a core Star Wars character must have. But with Obi-Wan Kenobi, the last 20 minutes in particular devote the majority of their time to longing looks at the franchise’s past. And Beru’s insistence that the family stand their ground doesn’t work as a moment of fierce empowerment: the audience knows that Reva won’t kill the family, and that Beru’s later stand against the Empire will be completely ineffective. I’d have loved just one more flashback scene about what her dynamic with Vader was when she was younger, about how his hatred for Obi-Wan transferred to her or how her own festered. The finale wraps up with a crop of cameos and closed loops: Emperor Palpatine tells Vader to focus on the future, Obi-Wan and the Alderaan crew (including Leia, safe at home) look nervously toward what’s next for them, the Jedi Master briefly greets young Luke, and Qui-Gon’s ghost appears to lead his former apprentice into his contemplative desert fate. It’s the Jedi he wants, so Obi-Wan baits him into a fight on a rocky planet.

With Episode 6 of Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Disney+ show has come to an end--for now, as there's always talk about more seasons, even if the show is a limited ...

Obi-Wan says, "Hello there" at the end of the episode. The first time the character says this line is in Revenge of the Sith, when Obi-Wan surprises General Grievous and some battle droids. It was originally written by John Williams for The Empire Strikes Back. It's easily the most iconic piece of music from Star Wars as a whole. And much like the moment on Rebels, Obi-Wan thinks he can save his friend, and Vader says "I will destroy you." Anakin Skywalker was Ahsoka's master and eventually became Darth Vader. Ahsoka fought Vader on Rebels and destroyed the left side of his mask, showing what was underneath. In the background of a scene on Tatooine, there's this astromech droid just strolling around.

Obi-Wan and ex-Anakin finally get the lightsaber duel (and closure) they've been brooding about for a decade. A recap of “Part VI,” the sixth episode and ...

There’s a bit more of this matching game later in the episode, as Obi-Wan agrees to take a more hands-off “here if you need me” approach to his watching over Luke, tacitly explaining why a teenage Luke is familiar with “crazy old Ben” rather than “the cool lightsaber-wielding guy who’s always watching our backs.” It helps Obi-Wan’s case that he’s not the one who saves Luke from Reva, who knocks him down from an embankment and approaches his unconscious body, ready to strike. I understand that the funky-alien-diner vibe was ultimately not the goal of this relatively somber character piece, but if Obi-Wan pulls a classic prestige TV and does follow up its “limited series” with a second season, I dearly hope it will leave room for some more Lucas-style whimsy. • The petty question that always lingers with me when a cinematic event or character makes the jump to TV is this: Did this need to be a series? (It seems like Vader would have the resources to pursue Obi-Wan while sending the rest of the Empire after the others, but never mind.) Here is the actual lightsaber battle, that “rematch of the century” that can’t really hope to live up to the operatic intensity of characters battling it out on an erupting lava planet. Obi-Wan Kenobi started out feeling like a sequel to a prequel; it ended up feeling like a prequel to itself. That’s doubly true of Obi-Wan’s crushing rejection of Vader’s vow for revenge: “Good-bye,” he says, before adding an uneasy “Darth.” Obi-Wan has never really talked about attempting to bring Anakin back from the dark side; the futile hope and subsequent sad reality of the situation are all allowed to live in McGregor’s performance. (“The weakness still remains … which is why you will always lose!” isn’t worlds away from Darth Helmet’s “Evil will always triumph over good … because good is dumb.”) As directed by Deborah Chow, the fight feels like it has its own visual identity, using her favored (and, let’s be frank, probably cost-effective) lightsabers-as-lanterns technique and the landscape’s roughness to stage something scrappier and less elegant than the Revenge of the Sith face-off. For a few minutes, the show, too, gets to pierce through all of that heavy helmet iconography and look for a human who might be able to meet Obi-Wan’s gaze. As the entertaining and satisfying “Part VI” opens, the Empire is hot on the heels of the transport carrying various Force-adjacent refugees, and while Roken (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) tries to keep hope alive among his passengers, he quietly confides to Obi-Wan that they’re basically screwed. (Doesn’t he also … want to save everyone?) Okay, fine, you want to make it clear that Obi-Wan is actually ready to stop avoiding the big Darth, but boy, it would have been cool if Roken felt like an actual character and not just the person who spouts off contradictory assertions to gin up nominal conflict. Gleaming, menacing helmets have become a major part of the Star Wars iconography, to the point where they’ve come to symbolize a kind of originalist traditionalism in the series. Yet the movie is prescient about one aspect of Star Wars movies that had not yet been produced back in 1987: Underneath the gleaming, menacing dark helmet is a whiny, insecure human being — whether it’s Rick Moranis or Hayden Christensen.

Welcome, Star Wars fans, to our final recap of Disney+'s Obi-Wan Kenobi series. I'm shocked that we're already at the final episode.

Really, this series would have made a solid 2-hour film, and I fully expect a number of fan edits to rework the 6 hours of footage into a more streamlined experience. (This nitpick is more a fault of the prequels than Obi-Wan Kenobi, but you gotta work within the defined constructs of the Star Wars franchise — otherwise what the hell are we doing here?) “But also, you’re under arrest for the murder of several people (including a Jedi) and the kidnapping of Princess Leia of Alderaan.” Star Wars loves to reward last-second reclamation (?) projects, but where Darth Vader and Kylo Ren (spoiler alert) died after embracing their inner good guy (conveniently sidestepping the consequences), Reva is very much alive and free to star in her own spinoff. “I fear for her future,” Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits) says, nodding to Leia (no one tell him about Alderaan). “The Empire grows stronger and bolder.” I really want to see Padme again.” Palpatine quickly peaces out and Vader leans back in his chair as the Imperial March finally plays on the soundtrack. Back under the rocks, Obi-Wan thinks of a happy thought (Leia!) and escapes a crushing death (snare drum). Emboldened, Obi-Wan attacks Vader with reckless abandon. (McGregor recalling his “I will do what I must” line from Revenge of the Sith slaps hard.) The former pals engage in combat. “I got something I wanna say,” comes the familiar voice of Reva (Moses Ingram) who Force pushes the man to the side and questions the water vendor about Owen Lars (Joel Edgerton). Frankly, I’m surprised Reva is in as good a shape as she is considering she just got stabbed by Darth Vader a few hours prior. Vader exits his ship and (after walking a mile) comes face to face with a decidedly more noble Obi-Wan Kenobi. “The circle is now complete,” Obi-Wan says. The rebel vessel poops out Obi-Wan’s escape craft (how big is that ship?) in front of Vader and the man in black orders his men to follow. Obi-Wan implores Haja to take Leia back to Alderaan as soon as he’s in the clear. I’m hoping the last episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi delivers the strong character and/or spectacle we’ve come to expect from Star Wars in a big way.

Here's why one truly epic moment in 'Obi-Wan Kenobi' Episode 6 feels so distinctly reminiscent of a powerful scene from the end of 2017's 'Star Wars: The ...

Saving Those You Love — At the start of both Obi-Wan and The Last Jedi, Rey and Ben Kenobi are unsure of themselves, which results in their connections to the Force becoming unbalanced. The Inverse Analysis — The Obi-Wan Kenobi finale draws inspiration from a number of different Star Wars sources, and it manages to pay homage to what’s come before while also remixing certain beats to accommodate its own story. For both Rey and Obi-Wan, lifting the rocks that lay before them is the only way they can protect those they love, so that’s exactly what they do. This gives Rey and Obi-Wan the strength needed to reorient their spiritual sides. Overcoming Doubt — The midpoint of Obi-Wan and Anakin’s climactic duel in the Kenobi finale finds McGregor’s Jedi Master trapped under a pile of rocks that his former padawan piled on top of him. The rush of images gives Obi-Wan the renewed strength he needs to free himself from Darth Vader’s makeshift pit.

Yes, that's Liam Neeson as the Force ghost of Qui-Gon Jinn, returned from the dead at long last to help guide his former student Obi-Wan Kenobi. Based on the ...

It doesn’t do this work with nearly the brio of, say, Rogue One, an interquel that took real tonal risks and neatly tied itself off at the end (to the detriment of any characters you might have wanted to see live to fight another day, but still). Obi-Wan is clearly designed to be open-ended, as everything from Reva’s survival to the climactic appearance of Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn’s Force ghost makes clear. Bonnie Piesse is good as his wife Beru (a role originated by Shelagh Fraser), too, but Edgerton really feels like the gruff, protective, no-bullshit man played by Phil Brown whom we meet in A New Hope. Edgerton is as good at this in his own way as Ewan McGregor is in capturing some of the vocal mannerisms of Alec Guinness. He knows that the age situation between himself and Guinness really can’t be explained away, so he spent the whole series going hard on Obi-Wan’s overall sense of loss, failure, weariness, aging himself before his time. I even enjoyed Obi-Wan’s parting shot of calling Anakin “Darth,” which is not a name but an honorific, and which he will do again on the Death Star years later. (This is why stuff like “Why didn’t he just kill him when he had the chance?” is popping up in my mind—not because I’m some CinemaSins-style pedant, but because the project’s overall sense of mild aimlessness gave my brain a chance to question plot holes I’d otherwise overlook.) And finally, he and Qui-Gon ride off into the distance, to watch and wait and prepare for that one final mission. In order to save the refugees from the Jedi/Force-sensitive relocation program called the Path from the Darth Vader–helmed Star Destroyer that’s firing on them, Obi-Wan jets off on his own and lures Vader into battle.

Facing an even more formidable task than "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," "Obi-Wan Kenobi" deftly threaded the needle between "Revenge of the Sith" and "A ...

Because while fans might have their own ideas about when it's time to ride into the twin sunset, after a project as polished and commercially marketable as this one, well, studios will do what they must, too. that sent the concept to streaming, everything here suggests it would have been a crowd-pleasing blockbuster. It's worth remembering "Obi-Wan Kenobi" was initially conceived as a movie, and despite the "Solo"-induced cold feet

Readers of my previous Obi-Wan Kenobi reviews know that I have been a pretty harsh critic of the latest live-action Star Wars show on Disney+.

I can’t think of a single tune, whereas I still get The Mandalorian’s theme stuck in my head randomly. - Leia using the holster Ben gave her as a pouch for Lola the droid is adorable. This, again, reminded me too much of the lousy slow chase in The Last Jedi and I find it beyond silly to watch Vader’s Star Destroyer unsuccessfully chase one single transport ship that’s not even a fast or exciting ship like the Millennium Falcon. I also find myself more annoyed with Leia than anything during all of her scenes. He’s off on a new adventure when the credits roll, lending some credence to the idea that a second season could, indeed, happen. But given that Obi-Wan is a Jedi with knowledge of the Sith, he knows that this is not a name, not something you’d call anyone. Owen and Beru put up a fine defense—it goes better than when the Stormtroopers attack nine years later—but ultimately Luke has to flee into the desert where Reva tracks him down and knocks him unconscious. If he’s accepted that this isn’t his former friend and pupil, that he is now a killer and a monster and a clear and present danger to Luke, Leia and the fledgling rebellion (not to mention himself) why not just end the bastard now? Elsewhere in the show we get the Reva storyline’s resolution. But just in terms of the story in this show, in isolation, why doesn’t he kill him? And the first showdown between Darth Vader and our titular hero was pretty bad, to say the least. The ensuing dialogue between Anakin and Obi-Wan is also quite good. The problems up to this point have been manifold.

As Obi-Wan Kenobi prepares for a showdown with Darth Vader, someone else's revenge plan may destroy the future of the galaxy.

After a tense reunion with Obi-Wan, Owen and Beru prepare to search for Luke before Reva returns with the boy in her arms. Days later, Obi-Wan arrives on Alderaan to say goodbye to Leia. Obi-Wan also returns home and packs his things before reconciling with Owen. In return, Owen allows Obi-Wan and Luke to meet for the first time. In the ensuing rematch, Vader’s mask is broken and he speaks as both Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader. Although Vader is too weak to continue the fight, he tells Obi-Wan that he killed Anakin Skywalker. Obi-Wan reluctantly accepts this and leaves his injured nemesis behind. Obi-Wan receives flashes of Reva’s attack on Owen, Beru, and Luke before he races to Tatooine. However, Reva’s head start insurmountable. When Reva attacks, her weakened state gives Owen and Beru the chance to defeat her. While the Empire chases Obi-Wan and The Path refugees through space, Reva is already on Tatooine and asking questions about Owen. Darth Vader refuses to let up on his former friend and mentor, so Obi-Wan decides to leave his new friends and give them the best chance to escape.

As the rebels barely escape Darth Vader and the Empire, Ben vows to end his conflict with his old padawan in the finale of Obi-Wan Kenobi season 1.

Following a beautiful duel, Darth Vader is able to get the upper hand on his old master and buries him underneath a pile of boulders. Partially defeated, Kenobi is able to focus his energy on Force pushing the rocks and breaking free. The Jedi Master is able to get the upper hand on his former Padawan before slicing open Vader’s helmet. Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) turns around and explains he has always been watching over his former student, Ben has just not been ready to see him. Kenobi explains that these events mean she chose not to and therefore is free from her old teachings. Reva returns young Luke Skywalker to his uncle and aunt, unharmed, much to their own and Ben Kenobi’s relief. Leia and her mother meet Bail Organa on the landing pad. A smirk crosses the Jedi’s face as he goes outside to greet Darth Vader before they begin dueling. Back on Tatooine, Owen and his nephew Luke arrive at a mechanics shop of some sort to get parts for their speeder. Once Kenobi gains some privacy, he begins talking to his Master saying that it all ends today, no matter if he or Vader dies. Owen goes home and tells his wife Beru that they need to go. The Jedi tries to offer help, but Roken knows there is not enough time.